What is postmortem forensic toxicology used to determine?

Postmortem forensic toxicology plays a crucial role in determining the presence of drugs and other toxic substances that may have contributed to an individual's death. This branch of toxicology involves analyzing biological samples, such as blood, urine, and tissues, to identify any potentially harmful substances that were present at the time of death.

In cases of sudden or unexplained death, toxicology reports can provide vital insights into whether drugs, alcohol, or other harmful chemicals were involved, helping to establish causation or contributing factors in the death. Therefore, identifying the presence of drugs that may have played a role in the demise is fundamental to understanding the circumstances surrounding the individual’s death.

Other options focus on aspects that, while relevant to the broader field of toxicology, do not directly relate to the primary objective of postmortem analysis, which is specifically concerned with understanding how substances contributed to death.